Pensioner sentenced for abuse of young girl

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Published:14:53Thursday 22 February 2018

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A Kells pensioner already serving a 20-year sentence for subjecting one girl to a litany of physical and sexual abuse, was given another four years today (Thursday) for the sex abuse of another youngster.

And for the first time 74-year-old Trevor Boyd from Crosshill View, can be identified after his two still traumatised victims waived their right to full anonymity so that he can be ‘named and shamed’.

“He has destroyed our lives and it is only right that people know who he is and the person he is. We need his name to go out there and maybe encourage other abuse victims to come forward and expose their torturers for what they are,” said the now grown women.

The Antrim Crown Court judge ruled that the total term of four years given for the six indecent assaults of a 12-year-old schoolgirl between March 1978 and July the following year, should be made to run consecutively with the 20-year term “meted out” to him last year for the multiple rape and abuse of his first victim.

Judge Desmond Marrinan told the “sexual predator of a chilling degree” he had “no hesitation in saying” his second victim “deserved justice in her own right” and that Boyd also “deserved additional punishment” for his horrendous crimes.

Afterwards his two victims welcomed the added sentence, saying they were “afraid he would escape justice with just a slap on the wrist”.

“He deserves everything he gets and more. I feel nothing for him... he never thought of me, especially when doing the things he did to me in my own room,” said the woman he abused while having an affair with her mother.

His first victim, subjected to a campaign not only of rape and sex abuse, but also cruelty, added that she “hope he rots, burns in hell. I still have nightmares and all. Nothing he goes through and more, can ever pay for what he has done to my life”.

“I have made sure he never had contact with my own daughters, or granddaughter, and he never will and I can’t see the day when I will be able to see or forgive him,” she added.

Earlier prosecution barrister Suzanne Gallagher successfully argued that apart from the principle of totality, it would be wrong for the court simply to “automatically subsume” any sentence for the added abuse into the original sentence.

Ms Gallagher said each victim “deserved justice in their own right” and given there were separate victims, involving distinct and separate offending, in the circumstance “consecutive sentences are appropriate”.

Passing sentence Judge Marrinan told Boyd that while committing his “heinous crimes” against his initial victim, he continued his “gross behaviour” towards the second youngster, subjecting her to “horrendous sexual offences”.

The judge added the pensioner was in a position of trust when he chose to abuse, exploit and violate her in her own home, robbing her of “a child’s innocence” and causing her “undoubted” damage and trauma.

Judge Marrinan said to date Boyd had yet to accept responsibility for his crimes and the harm he has caused and that during his two trials had described his victims “as liars” and had made everything up against him.

“Given that attitude you show no remorse, no insight and no determination to feel even at this late stage, any degree of guilt, sadness or shame for what you have done,” said the judge.

Boyd will serve at least half of his sentence in custody before the Parole Commissioners decide if and when he may be released back into the community under supervised licence.

However, as defence QC Peter Irvine pointed out that Boyd’s release would depend on “many aspects” and if he is freed he would be “released into a world where he has no friends”, and at a time when “he will be a very elderly gentleman”.